Lankum shining a light on the dark side of Irish culture

There’s a “Not In Kansas, anymore” at the very beginning of Lankum’s new take on boozy standard, ‘The Wild Rover’. The 10 minute-plus recording starts with a caterwauling note that hangs jaggedly in the air. It’s dissonant and unsettling, like a rumble from over the horizon or a banshee wailing on the wind.

This is Lankum announcing that whatever comes next isn’t going to be a jolly singalong.